Dysautonomia and ventricular dysfunction in the indeterminate form of Chagas disease

Background: the associations between autonomic function and biventricular function in patients with the indeterminate form of Chagas disease remains to be elucidated.Methods: In 42 asymptornatic patients and 19 healthy volunteers, the autonomic function was assessed by time domain indices of heart rate variability (HRV), analyzed for 24 h; the right ventricular function was assessed by fraction area change, right ventricle shortening, and systolic excursion of the tricuspid valve; and the left ventricular function was assessed by ejection fraction and transmittal flow velocities. Data were expressed as mean SD or medians (including the lower quartile and upper quartile). Groups were compared by Student's t or Mann-Whitney U test. Autonomic and ventricular function were correlated by Pearson's or Spearman's correlation coefficient. The level of significance was 5%.Results: Right and left ventricular systolic function indexes were comparable between groups. Transmittal flow velocities were decreased in the Chagas disease group (p < 0.05). The patients presented impaired HRV as indicated by the values of SDNN-day (80 (64-99) ms vs. 98 (78-127) ms; p = 0.045), SDNNI-24 It (54 (43-71) vs. 65 (54-105) ms; p = 0.027), SDNNI-day (49 (42-64) vs. 67 (48-76) ms; p = 0.045), pNN50-day (2.2 (0.7-5)% vs. 10 (3-11)%; p = 0.033); and pNN50-24 It (3 (1-7)% vs. 12 (8-19)%; p = 0.013). There were no correlations between the left ventricular diastolic indices and autonomic dysfunctional indices (p > 0.05).Conclusion: Patients with the indeterminate form of Chagas disease have both dysautonomia, and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. However, the right ventricular function is preserved. Importantly, ventricular diastolic dysfunction and dysautonomia. are independent phenomena. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved.

Simulação de Fluxo no Meio Poroso Utilizando o Fluent

The complexity of the Phenomenon of fluid flow in porous way causes a difficulty in its explicit description. Different in the cases where the flow is given through a pipe, where it is possible to measure the length and diameter of the pipe and to determine their ability to flow as a function of pressure, which is a complicated task in porous way. However, we try to approach clearly the equations used to conjecture the behavior of fluid flow in porous way. We made use of the Gambit to create a fractal geometry with the fluent we give the contour´s conditions we would want to analyze the data. The triangular mesh was created; it makes interactions with the discs of different rays, as barriers putted in the geometry. This work presents the results of a simulation with a flow of viscous fluids (oilliquid). The oil flows in a porous way constructed in 2D. The behavior evaluation of the fluid flow inside the porous way was realized with graphics, images and numerical results used for different datas analysis. The study was aimed in relation at the behavior of permeability (k) for different fractal dimensions. Taking into account the preservation of porosity and increasing the fractal distribution of the discs. The results showed that k decreases when we increase the numbers of discs, although the porosity is the same for all generations of the first simulation, in other words, the permeability decreases when we increase the fractality. Well, there are strong turbulence in the flow each time we increase the number of discs and this hinders the passage of the same to the exit. These results permitted to put in evidence how the permeability (k) is affected in a porous way with obstacles distributed in a diversified form. We also note that k decreases when we increase the pressure variation (P) within geometry. So, in front of the results and the absence of bibliographic subsidies about other theories, the work realized here can possibly by considered the unpublished form to explain and reflect on how the permeability is changed when increasing the fractal dimension in a porous way

Effect of Drilling Technique on the Early Integration of Plateau Root Form Endosteal Implants: An Experimental Study in Dogs

Purpose: This study tested the hypothesis that early integration of plateau root form endosseous implants is significantly affected by surgical drilling technique.Materials and Methods: Sixty-four implants were bilaterally placed in the diaphysial radius of 8 beagles and remained 2 and 4 weeks in vivo. Half the implants had an alumina-blasted/acid-etched surface and the other half a surface coated with calcium phosphate. Half the implants with the 2 surface types were drilled at 50 rpm without saline irrigation and the other half were drilled at 900 rpm under abundant irrigation. After euthanasia, the implants in bone were nondecalcified and referred for histologic analysis. Bone-to-implant contact, bone area fraction occupancy, and the distance from the tip of the plateau to pristine cortical bone were measured. Statistical analyses were performed by analysis of variance at a 95% level of significance considering implant surface, time in vivo, and drilling speed as independent variables and bone-to-implant contact, bone area fraction occupancy, and distance from the tip of the plateau to pristine cortical bone as dependent variables.Results: The results showed that both techniques led to implant integration and intimate contact between bone and the 2 implant surfaces. A significant increase in bone-to-implant contact and bone area fraction occupancy was observed as time elapsed at 2 and 4 weeks and for the calcium phosphate-coated implant surface compared with the alumina-blasted/acid-etched surface.Conclusions: Because the surgical drilling technique did not affect the early integration of plateau root form implants, the hypothesis was refuted. (C) 2011 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 69: 2158-2163, 2011

Assessment of the Ability to Relate Anterior Tooth Form and Arrangement to Gender

Purpose: This study evaluated the assumption that there are morphological differences between the natural anterior dentition of men and women. The goal of the study was to determine the gender of patients based on the appearance of the anterior teeth in photographs. Materials and Methods: Laymen and observers from different specialties were asked to determine the gender of individuals based on the shape and arrangement of anterior teeth. Forty anterior dentition photographs of dental students of both genders (20 women, 20 men) between 18 and 26 years old were selected, coded, and randomly arranged in an album. The albums were delivered to five groups of observers: general practitioners (recently graduated dentists), prosthodontists, orthodontists, restorative dentists (specialists in cosmetic and restorative dentistry), and laymen (control group). The observers evaluated the photographs twice at 1-week intervals. Results: The average correctly identified values in women and men were 57.6% and 58.8%, respectively. There was no statistical difference between observers and between each group of professionals and the laymen group (p > 0.05). An intraobserver agreement was not observed between the evaluations (kappa =-0.01). Conclusion: The results of this limited study indicated that it was not possible to differentiate gender by viewing photographs of anterior teeth.

Telomere biology of trypanosomatids: beginning to answer some questions

Studies of telomere structure and maintenance in trypanosomatids have provided insights into the evolutionary origin and conservation of some telomeric components shared by trypanosomes and vertebrates. For example, trypanosomatid telomeres are maintained by telomerase and consist of the canonical TTAGGG repeats, which in Trypanosoma brucei can form telomeric loops (t-loops). However, the telomeric chromatin of trypanosomatids is composed of organ ism-specific proteins and other proteins that share little sequence similarity with their vertebrate counterparts. Because telomere maintenance mechanisms are essential for genome stability, we propose that the particular features shown by the trypanosome telomeric chromatin hold the key for the design of antiparasitic drugs.

Leishmania replication protein A-1 binds in vivo single-stranded telomeric DNA

Replication protein A (RPA) is a highly conserved heterotrimeric single-stranded DNA-binding protein involved in different events of DNA metabolism. In yeast, subunits 1 (RPA-1) and 2 (RPA-2) work also as telomerase recruiters and, in humans, the complex unfolds G-quartet structures formed by the 3' G-rich telomeric strand. In most eukaryotes, RPA-1 and RPA-2 bind DNA using multiple OB fold domains. In trypanosomatids, including Leishmania, RPA-1 has a canonical OB fold and a truncated RFA-1 structural domain. In Leishmania amazonensis, RPA-1 alone can form a complex in vitro with the telomeric G-rich strand. In this work, we show that LaRPA-1 is a nuclear protein that associates in vivo with Leishmania telomeres. We mapped the boundaries of the OB fold DNA-binding domain using deletion mutants. Since Leishmania and other trypanosomatids lack homologues of known telomere end binding proteins, our results raise questions about the function of RPA-1 in parasite telomeres. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum cv. Micro-Tom) Natural Genetic Variation Rg1 and the DELLA Mutant Procera Control the Competence Necessary to Form Adventitious Roots and Shoots

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Comparative cytogenetic studies of Bufo ictericus, B. paracnemis (Amphibia, Anura) and an intermediate form in sympatry

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Production, purification and characterization of a minor form of xylanase from Aspergillus versicolor

A strain of Aspergillus versicolor produces a xylanolytic complex containing two components, the minor component being designated xylanase II. The highest production of xylanase II was observed in cultures grown for 5 days in 1% wheat bran as carbon source, at pH 6.5. Xylanase II was purified 28-fold by DEAE-Sephadex and HPLC GF-5 10 gel filtration. Xylanase II was a monomeric glycoprotein, exhibiting a molecular mass of 32 kDa with 14.1% of carbohydrate content. Optimal pH and temperature values for the enzyme activity were about 6.0-7.0 and 55 degreesC, respectively. Xylanase II thermoinactivation at 50degreesC showed a biphasic curve. The ions Hg2+, Cu2+ and the detergent SDS were strong inhibitors, while Mn2+ ions and dithiothreitol were stimulators of the enzyme activity. The enzyme was specific for xylans, showing higher specific activity on birchwood xylan. The Michaelis-Menten constant (K-m) for birchwood xylan was estimated to be 2.3 mg ml(-1) while maximal velocity (V-max) was 233.1 mumol mg(-1) min(-1) of protein. The hydrolysis of oat spell xylan released only xylooligosaccharides. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-long form overestimates self-reported physical activity of Brazilian adults

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Is the evolutionary history of the O-type P element in the saltans and willistoni groups of Drosophila similar to that of the canonical P element?

We studied the occurrence of O-type P elements in at least one species of each subgroup of the saltans group, in order to better understand the phylogenetic relationships among the elements within the saltans group and with those of species belonging to the willistoni group. We found that the O-type subfamily has a patchy distribution within the saltans group (it does not occur in D. neocordata and D. emarginata), low sequence divergence among species of the saltans group as well as in relation to species of the willistoni group, a lower rate of synonymous substitution for coding sequences compared to Adh, and phylogenetic incongruities. These findings suggest that the evolutionary history of the O-type subfamily within the saltans and willistoni groups follows the same model proposed for the canonical subfamily of P elements, i.e., events of horizontal transfer between species of the saltans and willistoni groups.

On the symplectic two-form of gravity in terms of Dirac eigenvalues

The Dirac eigenvalues form a subset of observables of the Euclidean gravity. The symplectic two-form in the covariant phase space could be expressed, in principle, in terms of the Dirac eigenvalues. We discuss the existence of the formal solution of the equations defining the components of the symplectic form in this framework. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier B.V. B.V.

Electromagnetic hadron form factors and higher Fock components

Investigation of the spacelike and timelike electromagnetic form factors of hadrons, within a relativistic microscopical model characterized by a small set of hypothesis, could shed light on the components of hadron states beyond the valence one. Our relativistic approach has been successfully applied first to the pion and then the extension to the nucleon has been undertaken. The pion case is shortly reviewed as an illustrative example for introducing the main ingredients of our approach, and preliminary results for the nucleon in the spacelike range -10 (GeV/c)(2) <= q(2) <= 0 are evaluated.

Pion form factor in the light-front

The pion electromagnetic form factor is calculated with a light-front quark model. The plus and minus components of the electromagnetic current are used to calculate the electromagnetic form factor in the the Breit frame with two models for the q (q) over bar vertex. The light-front constituent quark model describes very well the hadronic wave functions for pseudo-scalar and vector particles. Symmetry problems arising in the light-front approcah are solved by the pole dislocation method. The results are compared with new experimental data and with other quark models.